Johan Manzambi: Aston Villa sign Newcastle target from Freiburg in club-record £59.5m deal
Aston Villa sign Johan Manzambi in £59.5m club-record deal after snubbing Newcastle; midfielder joins Villa Park from Freiburg after breakout World Cup with Switzerland; Newcastle had agreed a deal worth £49m for 20-year-old but Champions League football saw him choose Villa
Friday 17 July 2026 21:37, UK
Aston Villa have beaten Newcastle to the signing of Johan Manzambi after completing a club-record £59.5m deal for the midfielder from Freiburg.
Newcastle had agreed a deal worth £49m for the Switzerland international, who was a breakout star at the World Cup as he scored three goals in their run to the quarter-finals.
However, Villa made a late bid for the 20-year-old to beat Eddie Howe's side to the signing.
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According to Sky in Germany, the total package for Manzambi is worth almost £59.5m (€70m) with add-ons included.
This is a club-record transfer, surpassing the £50m Villa paid Everton for Amadou Onana in the summer of 2024.
Manzambi becomes Villa's first signing of the summer, with the Europa League holders also closing in on a £38m deal for Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes.
Villa's midfield recruitment comes after the £35m exit of Youri Tielemans to Manchester United, while Onana is set for a lengthy absence on the sidelines after a serious knee injury at the World Cup with Belgium.
How Villa beat Toon to Manzambi signing
Manzambi had verbally agreed personal terms with Newcastle but was waiting until after Switzerland's World Cup was over before making a final call on his future.
But the offer of Champions League football is said to have been a key motivator behind his decision to opt for Villa.
Manzambi - who is primarily a central midfielder - enjoyed a breakout season for the Bundesliga club last season with seven goals and nine assists in 47 games in all competitions.
He was also named Europa League Young Player of the Season for his role in helping Freiburg to the final last season, where Aston Villa beat them 3-0 in Istanbul.
Why Manzambi could be a revelation at Villa
In a World Cup dominated by the biggest names, Johan Manzambi has been the exception to the rule. With more goals than starts for Switzerland, he has been a breakout star, earning his big move after one full season as a starter at Freiburg.
The 20-year-old talent rejected an offer from Newcastle United to sign for Aston Villa, Freiburg's conquerors in the Europa League final in May. A price of £49m reflects Manzambi's rapid rise, although his summer could have been even more spectacular.
After his man-of-the-match display against Bosnia-Herzegovina - scoring twice after coming on in the 71st minute - he scored and assisted against Canada. But he missed the quarter-final defeat to Argentina with a minor injury to leave a country wondering.
Could he have driven them on against ageing opposition in extra-time? Would Switzerland have even needed extra-time with Manzambi around? "We missed him massively," Bruno Berner tells Sky Sports. "He would have given us something different."
